Under certain conditions sealed lead acid batteries can emit small quantities of oxygen and hydrogen gases. When such lead acid batteries are installed in sealed electronic cabinets it is often considered desirable to provide a means of collecting these gases and venting them to the outside of the cabinet.
The typical method of collecting these gases is to fit a manifold onto the battery lid that covers the battery vents. This manifold has at least one spigot to which a plastic tube is fitted. This tube is then run to the outside of the cabinet or to another means of evacuation.
The manifold is secured to the battery lid by a gas tight method—typically either an adhesive or an o-ring. Using an adhesive allows the manifold to be fitted to a battery by the manufacturer only as and when required by the end,lcu@stomer but is a labour intensive solution. Using an o-ring typically requires the manifold to be part of the standard battery build and so involves additional cost on the standard battery regardless of whether or not a manifold is required.